Haskell Indian Nations University’s accreditation is at risk because it is a “federal trust failure”. The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) Public Disclosure Notice was issued on June 26, 2025, changing Haskell’s status from “Accredited” to “Accredited on Notice”. Accreditation is not the crisis—federal abandonment at Haskell is the crisis. Haskell was described as ‘severely dysfunctional by the congressional hearing report of 2024. The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) mismanagement and trust responsibility neglect is the root cause of the HLC pending loss of accreditation. Trust responsibility means:
- A trustee must protect trust property.
- A trustee must act in the best interest of beneficiaries.
- A trustee must prevent waste, loss or deterioration of trust assets
- A trustee is accountable for mismanagement.
The federal government trustee is failing every one of these duties at Haskell and at stake if the trustee continues to fail:
- Loss of accreditation
- Loss of federal financial aid
- Loss of academic programs
- Loss of enrollment
- Loss of cultural and historical resources
- Loss of Haskell wetlands and sacred sites
The U S Department of the Interior owns the Haskell acreage including Haskell Wetlands. The legal responsibility belongs to the Department of the Interior, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Indian Education, not to the Haskell students, the city of Lawrence, Douglas County nor to the state of Kansas. Lawrence is home to Haskell Indian Nations University, the University of Kansas and values quality education. The community of Lawrence is adversely impacted by the instability history of Haskell.
This means the federal government is:
- The federal government owns the land.
- The federal government is the trustee.
- The federal government has legal duties to Indian beneficiaries
- The federal government is responsible for protecting the Wakarusa corridor and Haskell Wetlands.
- The federal government’s neglect is the root cause of the crisis.
The Wakarusa corridor is not simply a conservation zone or a planning district. It is part of the historic Haskell campus—the land reserved for the education and welfare of Native American students from hundreds of tribal nations. This land carries:
- Cultural and ceremonial lifeways
- Burial sites
- Ecological importance
- Treaty-based expectations
- Federal trust obligations
Yet in public discussions—the federal trustee owner is silent, invisible and absent. The owner has ultimate responsibility, accountability and makes decisions. Silence is complicity. Th U S recognizes Indian Rights but they don’t enforce it. The Haskell faculty and students are stewards who manage and provide care for the benefit of others. When the federal government trustee owner is absent, the burden shifts unfairly to:
- Students
- Faculty
- Local Residents
- City and County planners
First Nations Journal requests a Call to Action to Senator Moran and Representative Mann in support of the Haskell Indian Nations University Improvement Act with the following questions:
https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4085
- Why are the Haskell trustees absent?
- Why has the Department of the Interior not addressed the HLC findings?
- Why are the Haskell students and faculty carrying responsibilities that belong
- to the federal government?
- What is the federal plan to restore HLC compliance and protect trust land?
Call to Action Contact:
Senator Moran, www.moran.senate.gov (202) 224-6521
Representative Mann, mann.house.gov (202) 225-2715
FIRST NATIONS JOURNAL
M’gwitch, 🪶
Steve Cadue
Kickapoo Nation Kansas
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